<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16LE"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Networked Artisans</title> <link>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Networked-Artisans.aspx</link> <description>Solo inventors, tinkerers, and craftsmen form networks to collaborate and celebrate their creations. Connected, they can iterate and innovate rapidly, and they re often driven much more by shared excitement than by financial rewards. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have your next learning project featured at &lt;a href="http://makerfaire.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Maker Faire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find ideas for your next project at &lt;a href="http://www.evilmadscientist.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories&lt;/a&gt; or on &lt;a href="http://www.instructables.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Instructables&lt;/a&gt;; build it and then teach someone else how&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join your local &lt;a href="http://www.freecycle.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Freecycle Network&lt;/a&gt; to exchange things for free in your area&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Trade something you don't need any more for something you want on &lt;a href="http://www.swapthing.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Swapthing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt; </description> <name>Networked Artisans</name> <atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Networked-Artisans" /><feedburner:info uri="networked-artisans" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><item> <title>The Maker Economy (Driver of Change)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Personal fabrication technologies and open-source principles democratize production and design&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; New forms of bottom-up social networking and economic coordination, along with advances in small-scale, community-based fabrication and design, transform local economies in the next decade, enabling productive flexibility that will help cushion against economic instability. New tools, including 3D printers (desktop printers that print out objects, parts, and components), computercontrolled machine tools (such as laser cutters), and online networking applications (that allow designers, consumers, tinkerers, and artisans to share blueprints, solutions, and how-to knowledge) will enable local communities to  make their own economic futures - to innovate, customize, design, and create solutions to meet local needs. Schools, community centers, and local businesses will become important hubs of design knowledge, rapid prototyping, and problem-solving skills that will increase local interdependencies and resilience, redefining relationships with the broader economy. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;What new skills are required for the maker economy, and what industrial and knowledge economy skills remain important?  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What new models of education suggested by the maker economy transcend industrial-age, assembly-line models? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More on This Topic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; Two future forces, one mostly social, one mostly technological, are intersecting to transform how goods, services, and experiences - the "stuff" of our world - will be designed, manufactured, and distributed over the next decade:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;An &lt;strong&gt;emerging do-it-yourself culture of "makers"&lt;/strong&gt; is boldly voiding warranties to tweak, hack, and customize the products they buy. And what they can t purchase, they build from scratch. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Meanwhile, &lt;strong&gt;flexible manufacturing technologies&lt;/strong&gt;, such as 3D desktop printers that allows users to print out parts and components, will change fabrication from massive and centralized to lightweight and ad hoc. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;These trends sit atop a platform of &lt;strong&gt;grassroots economics - &lt;/strong&gt;new market structures enabled by technologies of cooperation that embody a shift from stores and sales to communities and connections.  These makers are also helping craft a culture of tinkering, sharing, hacking, remixing, and collaborating.  They are blending open-source principles (in which code, blueprints, and designs are shared openly for the purposes of catalyzing innovations) with making practices that celebrate individual craftsmanship and ingenuity.  &lt;a href="http://www.makezine.com/"&gt;Maker Magazine &lt;/a&gt;and their eponymous &lt;a href="/signal/Maker-Faire.aspx"&gt;Maker Faire &lt;/a&gt;are examples of ways that home producers, hackers, and tinkerers gather and share their creations. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In the maker economy, "do it yourself" is becoming &lt;strong&gt;"do it ourselves,"&lt;/strong&gt; as social technologies are amplifying individual makers and stimulating &lt;a href="/trend/Citizen-RD.aspx"&gt;citizen R&amp;amp;D&lt;/a&gt;. These emerging industrial markets are driven not solely by profit but also by play - genuine excitement about making is inspiring these artisan networks.  They use social media sites, such as &lt;a href="/signal/Instructables.aspx"&gt;Instructables&lt;/a&gt; to explain their inventions and creations to others. They develop close connections with their markets and communities, tapping this relationship in order to develop new ideas, iterations, and solicit feedback. They participate in solutions markets like &lt;a href="/signal/Innocentive.aspx"&gt;InnoCentive&lt;/a&gt; to solve design, technical, and scientific problems that lead to new products and solutions. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; The maker culture will not replace industrial society, but &lt;strong&gt;traditional manufacturers and the maverick makers will remain inevitably linked - &lt;/strong&gt;sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing, but frequently blurring the boundaries that separate them. Success will occur when the two cultures are woven together in new and interesting ways.  Look for the rise in makers, &lt;a href="/trend/Networked-Artisans.aspx"&gt;networked artisans&lt;/a&gt;, and ad hoc factories to redefine the significance and role of the industrial arts and crafts in society.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications for Learning&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;The emergence of the maker economy will increase the status of the industrial arts and crafts as it becomes a source of economic and social innovation and customization.  The maker economy will draw inspiration from local communities and markets, yet collaborate and share knowledge at a global level.   &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Expect the maker economy to &lt;strong&gt;influence traditional curriculums&lt;/strong&gt;, school to work programs, and vocational training.  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The maker economy will give new meaning to efforts in &lt;strong&gt;project-based learning and purpose driven knowledge acquisition. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design &lt;/strong&gt;will become an effective entry to learning critical skills, ranging from designing production teams and work processes to physical goods themselves.  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooperation&lt;/strong&gt; across disciplines, skill domains, and national boundaries will trump competition as makers demonstrate the value of open, cooperative practices. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kinetic learning&lt;/strong&gt; from interacting with physical objects and materials will open up new ways to experience complex concepts and principles. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5 Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use a &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries" target="_blank"&gt;tool library &lt;/a&gt;near you to create your own learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Trade something you don't need any more for something you want on &lt;a href="http://www.swapthing.com/home/index.jsp" target="_blank"&gt;Swapthing&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create and sell your own ideas and goods at &lt;a href="http://www.ponoko.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Ponoko &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Earn money for research on various projects at &lt;a href="http://www.innocentive.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Innocentive &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate your idle time on your computer to science through the &lt;a href="http://folding.stanford.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Folding@home &lt;/a&gt;project or the &lt;a href="http://boinc.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;BOINC&lt;/a&gt; project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/kBMTwkmLpRs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/kBMTwkmLpRs/The-Maker-Economy.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/driver/The-Maker-Economy.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Transliteracy (Trend)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;Effective communication depends on the ability to read, write, and interact across multiple media and social platforms. (provided by &lt;a href="http://www.transliteracy.com" target="_blank"&gt;www.transliteracy.com&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Podcasts &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Digital video &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Virtual Worlds &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Microblogs &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Wikis &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Social Networking &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tagging &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;In the emerging decade, ideas will migrate across multiple social media platforms: podcasts, digital video, virtual worlds, microblogs, wikis, social networking, tagging, etc. The amplified, transliterate organization will have the capacity to communicate across these platforms.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;View or post a video around your lesson plan or around an educational component on &lt;a href="http://www.teachertube.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;TeacherTube&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Try e-learning for your own professional development &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn how &lt;a href="http://transliteracies.english.ucsb.edu/category/research-project/definition-of-online-reading" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;The Transliteracies Project&lt;/a&gt; is designing technology to improve the experience of reading for people of all backgrounds &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore how archaeology and media can be used in your next class at &lt;a href="http://metamedia.stanford.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small"&gt;MetaMedia&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Download courses from &lt;a href="http://itunes.stanford.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Stanford University on iTunes&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;MIT OpenCourseWare&lt;/a&gt;, or another open access sites for use in your classrorom &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chuck House, executive director of Media X, Stanford University's membership research program on media and technology, talks about the new skills needed for 21st century jobs. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSFuZDc-7yw&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;&amp;amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/2vJl88KMLsU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/2vJl88KMLsU/Transliteracy.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Transliteracy.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Open Leadership and Sociability (Trend)</title> <description>Open collaborative platforms enable networked teams to self-organize and support ad hoc leaders. New connectivity tools support flexible, self-organizing networks. This new mode of collaboration sociability is best facilitated by building open platforms for leadership, which allow different team members to contribute when they deem most appropriate and effective. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Involve students in your professional learning community &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join or form a professional learning community, such as &lt;a href="http://www.classroom20.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Classroom 2.0&lt;/a&gt;, to pursue ongoing professional development, support other educators, and organize with colleagues &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Follow colleagues' activites and locations at &lt;a href="http://plazes.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Plazes&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.jaiku.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Jaiku&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to or create a "citizen reporter" newspaper such as &lt;a href="http://english.ohmynews.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;OhMyNews&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Host an &lt;a href="https://www.collaborationjam.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Innovation Jam&lt;/a&gt; to engage students and teachers in developing new ideas for learning &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chuck House, executive director of Media X, Stanford University's membership research program on media and technology, talks about the new skills needed for 21st century jobs.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSFuZDc-7yw&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/DqKiQ_2NMBs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/DqKiQ_2NMBs/Open-Leadership-and-Sociability.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Open-Leadership-and-Sociability.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Metaverse (Trend)</title> <description>Blended physical-digital worlds create new learning geographies.  Learning in the real world is complemented by the navigation of virtual worlds through avatars.  Google Earth and Second Life merge to become the 'Metaverse.'&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/9SoAvr-obTc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/9SoAvr-obTc/Metaverse.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Metaverse.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Enabled Innovation (Trend)</title> <description>Neurodiversity, physical enhancements, and disability communities converge, turning marginalized populations into mainstream innovators. People with disabilities are quickly becoming lead users and innovators of sophisticated physical and cognitive enhancements, ones that will make people  better than normal. Neurodiversity, which considers a-typical neural behavior such as autism not as a disability but as a natural human difference, is empowering many marginalized populations to embrace and explore their unique cognitive functioning not &lt;i&gt;dis&lt;/i&gt;abled, but &lt;i&gt;en&lt;/i&gt;abled. Many of these developments will be rapidly adopted back into mainstream use, meanwhile challenging our notions of performance,  normal, and what it means to be human. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn why some think a double-leg amputee like &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius" class="active_link" target="_blank"&gt;Oscar Pistorius&lt;/a&gt; has an unfair advantage in racing&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;View the parody site &lt;a href="http://isnt.autistics.org/archived.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Institute for the Neurologically Typical&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;See how the Asperger's Syndrome community is banding together at &lt;a href="http://www.wrongplanet.net/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;WrongPlanet.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/UOAqDroUIc8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/UOAqDroUIc8/Enabled-Innovation.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Enabled-Innovation.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Commons (Trend)</title> <description>Educational stakeholders grow collective learning resources, creating an alternative to public and private education. Such commons are common-pool resources that benefit the entire community but are vulnerable to depletion e.g. land (recall the pivotal  tragedy of the commons argument). Various education stakeholders are framing learning resources  local community assets, schools, online curriculum databases  as education commons that need to be managed collectively (not privately or publicly) to maintain their long-term collective benefits. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Network with people in other professional learning communities to share ideas about encouraging collaboration and system change &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate reward structures that give teachers incentives for sharing and creating collective educational resources &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to the &lt;a href="http://www.oercommons.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Open Educational Resource&lt;/a&gt; (OER) Commons, &lt;a href="http://www.curriki.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Curriki&lt;/a&gt; , or &lt;a href="http://www.wikieducator.org/" target="_blank"&gt;Wikieducator&lt;/a&gt; to exchange free teaching and learning content from with others around the world &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore how &lt;a href="http://www.dcvoice.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;DC Voice&lt;/a&gt; is stengthening public voice in education &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join the parents of &lt;a href="http://www.letparentschoose.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Let Parents Choose&lt;/a&gt; in taking back more control of children's education &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;strong&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Lisa Petrides, President of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education, speaks about OER commons and how to put the teaching and learning processes back into the hands of those who use it. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ge3HWnJkUn0&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/RD9YUrXV2jM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/RD9YUrXV2jM/Learning-Commons.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Learning-Commons.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Lightweight Community-Based Manufacturing (Trend)</title> <description>Ad hoc factories and job shops enable flexible, fast, and customized production, unlike fabrication by assembly lines and dedicated factories. Physical goods can be made - or recycled and remade - on small, specific scales, ideal for personal or local projects. Anyone can become a player - buyer, producer, designer - in the manufacturing arena. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Reduce your manufacturing costs with &lt;a href="http://pchchinasolutions.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;PCH International&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use a &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries" class="active_link" target="_blank"&gt;tool library&lt;/a&gt; near you to create your own learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out if your community gives new life to old electronics, as does the &lt;a href="http://www.accrc.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate or procure hands-on learning materials from &lt;a href="http://www.raft.net/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Resource Area for Teacher (RAFT)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate 3-D production tools from &lt;a href="http://www.zcorp.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Z Corporation&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.shopbottools.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;ShopBot Tools&lt;/a&gt; to your local school, library, or community center &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/gyBT84FOHbs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/gyBT84FOHbs/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Fabrication and Design (Trend)</title> <description>Better desktop tools, 3D printers, and digital machinery democratize the machine shop. Anyone can experiment with making cool things. Cheaper, more user-friendly interfaces empower individuals to draft their own designs and even manufacture them themselves. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create t-shirts for events or schools &lt;a href="http://www.cafepress.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;CafePress&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.threadless.com" target="_blank"&gt;Threadless&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use &lt;a href="http://www.fabathome.org" target="_blank"&gt;Fab@home&lt;/a&gt; as an inspiration for your next learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Customize a gift for your favorite digital citizen with &lt;a href="http://www.fabjectory.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Fabjectory&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Bring  your digital creations to life with 3D printing (see &lt;a href="http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1839765.ece" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt; Microtrends: Printing in 3D &lt;/a&gt;) &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create and sell your own ideas and goods at &lt;a href="http://www.ponoko.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Ponoko&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/P7Jj5h9DWak" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/P7Jj5h9DWak/Personal-Fabrication-and-Design.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Personal-Fabrication-and-Design.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Citizen R&amp;D (Trend)</title> <description>Makers reach out to their markets and communities to ideate, iterate, and solicit feedback. Research and development is no longer relegated to a lab where only  experts are welcome. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore the love of a father for his daughter on &lt;a href="http://mydaughtersdna.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;My Daughter s DNA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use courses and protocols in biology and engineering for your next lesson plan from &lt;a href="http://openwetware.org/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank"&gt;Open Wetware &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to the body of global climate data through the NASA &lt;a href="http://www.globe.gov/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;GLOBE&lt;/a&gt; project&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Earn money for research on various projects at &lt;a href="http://www.innocentive.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Innocentive&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate your idle time on your computer to science through the &lt;a href="http://folding.stanford.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Folding@home &lt;/a&gt;project or the &lt;a href="http://boinc.berkeley.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;BOINC&lt;/a&gt; project&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/fdSnZgBG7JY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/fdSnZgBG7JY/Citizen-RD.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Citizen-RD.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>MobileMoney (Signal)</title> <description>MobileMoney is an online payment platform where you can easily and quickly set up a payment system for your website. They offer a worldwide coverage with a.o. credit card, SMS, IVR phone billing and local payment methods such as iDeal, ELV and Wallie-cards.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/dOnZDPDiODQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/dOnZDPDiODQ/MobileMoney.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/MobileMoney.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Youth Food Movement (Signal)</title> <description>The Youth Food Movement is a network of young farmers, cooks, artisans, activists and students who are actively changing the future of food and farming.  Affiliated with Slow Food, it organizes the international Terra Madre Youth Network; a collection of university-based convivia that students can join to address the social and environmental causes associated with food issues; and a Pangaea: Ark of Knowledge apprenticeship project that offers mentorship in sustainable, artisanal production and cultivation methods to help prepare young people to create alternatives to the industrialization of our food system.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/DL9pBq5W6oM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/DL9pBq5W6oM/Youth-Food-Movement.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Youth-Food-Movement.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Howcast Boosts DIY'ers (Signal)</title> <description>The Do It Yourself movement underlying the Maker Economy has a new source of know-how.  The Howcast site offers professionally produced how-to videos.  Videos range from "How to Make Sushi" to "How to Make a Kaleidescope."&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/QwBKkWU70KY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/QwBKkWU70KY/Howcast-Boosts-DIYers.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Howcast-Boosts-DIYers.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Swapthing (Signal)</title> <description>An online bartering community that facilitates swap-based transactions between people who need certain goods and people who have them.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/xumLsbojuIg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/xumLsbojuIg/Swapthing.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Swapthing.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (Signal)</title> <description>An online community for  evil mad scientists to share their hacking experiments  creations ranging from electronic games to edible origami cranes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/RUKVnWJj2JQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/RUKVnWJj2JQ/Evil-Mad-Scientist-Laboratories.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Evil-Mad-Scientist-Laboratories.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Maker Faire (Signal)</title> <description>An annual festival for makers to share innovative ideas, designs, programs, and prototypes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/5MJZtKDNiIM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/5MJZtKDNiIM/Maker-Faire.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Maker-Faire.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Instructables (Signal)</title> <description>The world s biggest DIY,  how to, and  show and tell. It s a platform where people share what they do and how they do it.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/UnD59Cp3IwE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/UnD59Cp3IwE/Instructables.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Instructables.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Partner (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Students who test for compatible personalities but who have different cognitive strengths will be matched to support each other throughout the year, maintaining a constant thread amid shifting peer relationships.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/WNSWts5tM8M" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/WNSWts5tM8M/Learning-Partner.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Partner.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Journey Mentor (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Learning journey mentors will work with personal education advisors, learning fitness instructors, community intelligence cartographers, and assessment designers to co-create and navigate learning itineraries with small groups of students.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/U9yPN3LKs3Y" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/U9yPN3LKs3Y/Learning-Journey-Mentor.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Journey-Mentor.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Social Capital Platform Developer (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Social capital platform developers will link the social capital infrastructure to teaching and learning practices and outcomes. They will use tracking programs to provide an accounting of people s contributions to open education resources and collaborative processes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/CzbA90bj7PQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/CzbA90bj7PQ/Social-Capital-Platform-Developer.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Social-Capital-Platform-Developer.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Diane Demee-Benoit notes how we are moving from economies of scales to economies of groups (Resource)</title> <description>Diane, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/NyyT2k2OmN0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/NyyT2k2OmN0/Diane-Demee-Benoit-notes-how-we-are-moving-from-economies-of-scales-to-economies-of-groups.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Diane-Demee-Benoit-notes-how-we-are-moving-from-economies-of-scales-to-economies-of-groups.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Future of Education Community (Resource)</title> <description>This community is devoted to providing an opportunity for those who care about education to share their voices and ideas with others. It's a place for thoughtful discussion on an incredibly important topic.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/WTx4ZblAkvw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/WTx4ZblAkvw/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Start a Viral Political Campaign on YouTube (Resource)</title> <description>Want to create a social movement yourself? Here are some helpful how-to's starting with only you and youtube...&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/VibW6yzhpHQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/VibW6yzhpHQ/Start-a-Viral-Political-Campaign-on-YouTube.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Start-a-Viral-Political-Campaign-on-YouTube.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Teen Trades Hacked IPhone for New Car (Resource)</title> <description>George Hotz, age 17, has unlocked an iPhone and is using it on T-Mobile's network. Hotz broke the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&amp;T's wireless network, freeing the most hyped cell phone ever for use on the networks of other carriers, including overseas ones carriers. The job took 500 hours, or about 8 hours a day since the iPhone's June 29 launch. Hotz reached a deal with CertiCell, a Louisville, Ky.-based mobile phone repair company to trade his modified iPhone for a Nissan 350Z and three 8GB iPhones.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/aIzuUiJViOU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/aIzuUiJViOU/Teen-Trades-Hacked-IPhone-for-New-Car.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Teen-Trades-Hacked-IPhone-for-New-Car.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Data Breach Reports Up 69% in 2008 (Resource)</title> <description>Businesses, governments and universities reported a record number of data breaches in the first half of this year, a 69% increase over the same period in 2007 driven by a spike in data thefts attributed to employees and contractors, according to an analysis by identity theft experts. The San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center tracked 342 data breach reports from Jan. 1 to June 27. Nearly 37% of reports came from businesses -- an increase from almost 29% last year. Data breach reports from health care providers (14.9% of the total) and banks (10%) continued to rise, while breaches from educational institutions (21.3% of the total), government entities and the military (17%) declined for the 3rd year in a row, the ITRC found. Hacking was the least-cited cause of data breaches in the first 6 months of 2008 (11.7% of the total). Instead, lost or stolen laptops and other digital storage media remain the most often cited cause of data breaches, more than 20% of all reported cases, the ITRC found. Posting of personal and financial data online prompted roughly 15% of the data breach disclosures. Data breaches due to information stolen by someone inside the company increased from just 6% of the total in 2007 to nearly 16% this year. Another 13.5% of breaches came from subcontractors who lost or stole their clients' customer data.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/qysqo2Ot6rc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/qysqo2Ot6rc/Data-Breach-Reports-Up-69-in-2008.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Data-Breach-Reports-Up-69-in-2008.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title> 101+ Web Resources for Students (Resource)</title> <description>Over 100 useful resources on the web for students&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/-77BfJfW1tY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/-77BfJfW1tY/-1012b-Web-Resources-for-Students.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/-1012b-Web-Resources-for-Students.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>How the Internet is Changing Consumer Behavior and Expectations (Resource)</title> <description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/ETvmEsiVXiA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/ETvmEsiVXiA/How-the-Internet-is-Changing-Consumer-Behavior-and-Expectations.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/How-the-Internet-is-Changing-Consumer-Behavior-and-Expectations.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>At Starbucks, Songs of Instant Gratification (Resource)</title> <description>New technology allows coffee patrons to download the music playing in Starbucks stores to their iPhones or laptops. This begins a wave of options for impulse purchases. More capable gadgets, coupled with mobile payment mechanisms, allow people to buy not just media, (music, videos and ring tones), but also hard goods, on the go. This evolution follows the popularity of debit, gift and refill cards, which allow buyers to fill accounts and make cashless payments. Payments made with those cards exceed the payments made by cash and check, according to the Nilson Report, a credit industry newsletter, which used Commerce Department data.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/dfSPUzIgwM0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/dfSPUzIgwM0/At-Starbucks2c-Songs-of-Instant-Gratification.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/At-Starbucks2c-Songs-of-Instant-Gratification.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Make Magazine Blog and Maker Faire (Resource)</title> <description>MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in one s life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help anyone make the most of technology at home and away from home. This is an on-line magazine that celebrates the right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology at will.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/urmIf6fFo40" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/urmIf6fFo40/Make-Magazine-Blog-and-Maker-Faire.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Make-Magazine-Blog-and-Maker-Faire.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Institute for the Future Technology Horizons Program (Resource)</title> <description>Given concerns for security, flexibility, and health risks, centralized infrastructure will no longer be key to economic progress. New materials and technologies will make it possible to use more flexible infrastructures for transportation, people and information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/dN6ydLNX_50" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/dN6ydLNX_50/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>One Laptop Per Child Book &amp; Music Drive and XO Hackathon (Resource)</title> <description>SJ Klein, director of community content for OLPC notes a collaboration between One Laptop per Child, Creative Commons, and Textbookrevolution.org.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/VSEbJAgHfM8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/VSEbJAgHfM8/One-Laptop-Per-Child-Book--Music-Drive-and-XO-Hackathon.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/One-Laptop-Per-Child-Book--Music-Drive-and-XO-Hackathon.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Markey Opens Second Round of Net Neutrality (Resource)</title> <description>Rep. Edward Markey is sponsoring another bill to try and write Net Neutrality into law...&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/8kReIyYiUZM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/8kReIyYiUZM/Markey-Opens-Second-Round-of-Net-Neutrality.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Markey-Opens-Second-Round-of-Net-Neutrality.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Facebook Social Network (Resource)</title> <description>Facebook is a social utility that helps people better understand the world around them and allows users to share information through social networks on-line the same they would in the real world.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/ND3ngbH0IHk" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/ND3ngbH0IHk/Facebook-Social-Network.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Facebook-Social-Network.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Postyourtest.Com Raises Ethical Concerns (Resource)</title> <description>As a student at St. Louis Univ., Demir Oral met students acing exams because they could access a bank of previous tests of the same professor. Fraternities and sororities compiled exams from prior years and made them available to members as a study tool during pressure-packed final exams. So last Nov., Oral launched Postyourtest.com, as a free online service to democratize the sharing of college exams. Educators have become wary of the potential for academic dishonesty. Experts say such sites may change how professors, aware that previous versions of their questions might be available in cyberspace, assemble their tests. Exams on Postyourtest.com give students a better idea of what may appear on upcoming tests, and they don't give students a cheat sheet. The proliferation of sites that post exams could rattle longtime college faculty members and force them to create brand-new tests every semester, instead of recycling exams repeatedly.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/PrmcFttBn2Q" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/PrmcFttBn2Q/PostyourtestCom-Raises-Ethical-Concerns.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/PostyourtestCom-Raises-Ethical-Concerns.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Free Web Browser for Autistic Children: "Zac Brows" (Resource)</title> <description>Although the web has created important communication and educational opportunities for some people with cognitive impairments, computers can also introduce new headaches for families trying to navigate the contours of disability. A Las Vegas software developer created a free web browser designed specifically for use by autistic children. John LeSieur is in the software business, so he took particular interest when computers seemed mostly useless to his 6-year-old grandson, Zackary. The boy has autism, and the whirlwind of options presented by PCs so confounded him that he threw the mouse in frustration. LeSieur tried to find online tools that could guide autistic kids around the web, but he couldn't find anything satisfactory. So he had one built, named it the  Zac Browser for Autistic Children in honor of his grandson, and made it available to anyone free of charge. Zac Browser presents a hand-picked slate of choices from free, public web sites, with an emphasis on educational games, music, videos, and visually entertaining images, such as a virtual aquarium. LeSieur's browser essentially takes over the computer and reduces the controls available for children such as Zackary, who may find too many choices overwhelming. Zac Browser disables extraneous keyboard buttons such as "Print Screen" and turns off the right button on the mouse. Zac Browser eliminates commands most children don't need anyway, and it reduces the chance an autistic child will lose confidence after making a counterproductive click. Children using the Zac Browser select activities by clicking on larger-than-normal icons, like a soccer ball for games and a stack of books for "stories." The Zac Browser also configures the view so no advertisements or other flashing distractions appear. LeSieur plans to tweak the program so parents can suggest new content to add.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/rXkcbw7r0GU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/rXkcbw7r0GU/Free-Web-Browser-for-Autistic-Children-Zac-Brows.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Free-Web-Browser-for-Autistic-Children-Zac-Brows.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Rapid Rise in How-To Instructions Online (Resource)</title> <description>What is eHow.com? Whatever a person wants to learn to do (Tie a tie, lose weight, negotiate a raise, etc.) the eHow"! database of over 100,000 articles can help. It's the popular place to find instructions on how to do almost everything. Monthly, over 8 million people visit the site. It has more than 100,000 articles professionally written with directions on how to do things. It also has a growing library of articles created by eHow's members. Members love sharing their knowledge with the world and use this platform for everyone to share their knowledge with others. Anyone who becomes an eHow member will be able to comment on articles and interact with other members through a robust set of social networking tools. They can even write their own How -To articles with the easy-to-use publishing tools that let members express their knowledge through text, images, and video. eHow's community is changing the way people share and learn information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/oQrK5cvFeII" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/oQrK5cvFeII/Rapid-Rise-in-How-To-Instructions-Online.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Rapid-Rise-in-How-To-Instructions-Online.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium (Resource)</title> <description>The Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium is an investment fund that aims to build stronger ties between local banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs), facilitating access to local currency loans and helping to remove foreign exchange burdens for MFIs, thus lowering end-borrower costs.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/cJ5CMIXYzXw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/cJ5CMIXYzXw/Global-Commercial-Microfinance-Consortium.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Global-Commercial-Microfinance-Consortium.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Demographics for the Gen Y Population (Resource)</title> <description>This website presents fascinating demographics about the culture and tastes of Generation Y and offers links to a variety of resources.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/yA7cq4quDbw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/yA7cq4quDbw/Demographics-for-the-Gen-Y-Population.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Demographics-for-the-Gen-Y-Population.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Philanthropic Travel Connects Tourists with World (Resource)</title> <description>Clients of the luxury travel agency Artisans of Leisure are embracing an off-the-map concept known as philanthropic travel. They donate cows - or even a water buffaloes - to impoverished villages. And they follow up by sponsoring a ceremony and a big party. "Our clients are really looking for human connections," said founder Ashley Ganz. Artisans of Leisure is experiencing a boom in this ethically complicated niche. Likewise, Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts has just launched a 71-hotel program called Give Back Getaways, allowing guests to participate in music therapy programs for the disabled in Istanbul or home restoration in the ancient water town of Wuzhen, China. Guests will shell out between US$50-100,000 for the experience, part of which is forwarded to the local charity. American Express Travel is set to launch its own package for its elite Platinum Card members, one of which will include an Orient-Express train trip through Botswana and South Africa that will offer visits to soup kitchens and basket-weaving projects en route. The cost: US$13,000 per person, and evidently, the company sees a future from this kind of demand. In the past week they received many calls from travelers who wanted to go help out in Myanmar. Operators and social theorists surmise that this jet set generosity could be the loud echo-effect of anti-poverty crusaders Bono, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt. Others attribute the trend to niche positioning in a competitive luxury market.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/YtTMLf1HTcg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/YtTMLf1HTcg/Philanthropic-Travel-Connects-Tourists-with-World.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Philanthropic-Travel-Connects-Tourists-with-World.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Program Could Turn Arkansas' School Buses into Classrooms (Resource)</title> <description>Prof. Julie Hudson of Vanderbilt Univ. and program director for the Aspirnaut Initiative (AI), recently told a legislative panel the AI program turns what would be idle time into productive learning time. "Many students in rural Arkansas, and many rural states in the U.S., have long school bus rides. Students sit perhaps between 1.5 to 2 hours on the longest routes each way, each day of the week," Hudson told the House and Senate education committees. A pilot program has transformed school buses into mobile virtual classrooms in one Arkansas district seems worth expanding across the state, coordinators say. The  Aspirnaut Initiative equips students with laptop computers and iPods and allows them to take online math and science courses while traveling to and from school. The program turns what would otherwise be idle time into productive learning time. Students in the pilot program have completed 14 semesters of study with their regular course load. The students are given headphones which help them tune out noise from other students on the bus who are not in the program. Connectivity may be an issue for bus routes so remote that they don't even have cell service.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~4/K5_yO_EPpUc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Networked-Artisans/~3/K5_yO_EPpUc/Program-Could-Turn-Arkansas-School-Buses-into-Classrooms.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Program-Could-Turn-Arkansas-School-Buses-into-Classrooms.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> </channel> </rss>